King Kong Other Cast: Thomas Kretschmann, Colin Hanks, Jamie Bell, Evan Parke, Kyle Chandler

3Home Navigation
4 King Kong Other Cast
THOMAS KRETSCHMANN (Captain Englehorn) also starred opposite Adrien Brody in the Oscar®-winning film The Pianist. He can also be seen in Butterfly: A Grimm Love Story in the lead role based on a true character so deeply disturbed his only hope for love is to eat another human being; and in Have No Fear: The Life of Pope John Paul II, in which he played the Pope from his early years in the theatre to his quick ascent within the European clergy to become the most influential pope of the 20th century. The versatile actor can also be seen in the upcoming film version of the best-selling book The Celestine Prophecy. Born in East Germany, Kretschmann trained to be an Olympic swimmer, but the rigid confines of his country's communist system soon had him planning his escape. At the age of 20, and with nothing more than a passport and the equivalent of a few dollars in cash, he made a daring and life-threatening trek alone on foot through four countries to reach West Berlin and freedom. The harrowing journey would cost Kretschmann part of a finger due to frostbite. Receiving political asylum from his new country, Kretschmann worked odd jobs for three years before joining the renowned Schiller Theater, Germany's version of the Royal Shakespeare Company. In 1991, he made his film debut in Der Mitwisser, earning the prestigious Max-Ophuls Prize as Best Up & Coming Actor. He next earned the notice of the international film community with his performance in Stalingrad from the producers of Das Boot. He would go on to star in such critically acclaimed films as U-571, Blade, Queen Margot, Marching in Darkness, The Stendhal Syndrome and Prince Valiant. Still competitive in a variety of sports, as well as an accomplished painter, Kretschmann now makes his home in Los Angeles where he resides with his wife and three children. COLIN HANKS (Preston) With starring roles in several feature films and a miniseries, COLIN HANKS (Preston) is quickly becoming one of Hollywood's most sought-after new leading men. Hanks recently starred in the acclaimed ensemble drama 11:14. The film tells the seemingly random (yet vitally connected) story of a set of incidents that all converge one evening at 11:14 p.m. The film also stars Hilary Swank. Hanks previously starred in Paramount's Orange County, with Jack Black, Catherine O'Hara, Harold Ramis and Lily Tomlin. The film features Hanks as an overachieving high school student whose aspirations to go to Stanford are endangered when a guidance counselor mistakenly forwards an underachieving classmate's transcript. Directed by Jake Kasdan, the film was produced by Scott Rudin and MTV Films. Hanks' other credits include Miramax's comedy Get Over It, with Kirsten Dunst and Ben Foster, and Whatever It Takes, an outrageous coming-of-age comedy that follows the misadventures of a group of young high school guys who make a pact with one another to land the girls of their dreams. On the small screen, Hanks was also seen in Steven Spielberg's acclaimed 10-part miniseries Band of Brothers for HBO. Colin also starred in the WB's series Roswell, a one-hour drama focused on a tight-knit group of friends, bound together by an unbelievable secret, and the surrounding community that tries to tear them apart. Colin's stage credits include a production of Noises Off! at Loyola Marymount. JAMIE BELL (Jimmy) is best known for his award-winning starring role in Stephen Daldry's highly acclaimed Billy Elliot. He won the Best Actor award at the BAFTAs and the Best Newcomer Award at the British Independent Film Awards. Jamie went on to join an all-star cast in Douglas McGrath's Nicholas Nickleby, playing the role of Smike. Last year, he completed a lead role in David Gordon Green's Undertow, opposite Dermot Mulroney and Josh Lucas. Bell most recently starred in Dear Wendy, from award-winning director Thomas Vinterberg, which premiered at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. He was also seen in the feature film The Chumscrubber, opposite Ralph Fiennes and Carrie-Anne Moss; the film also premiered at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. EVAN PARKE (Hayes) Through his diverse roles on screen, stage and television, EVAN PARKE (Hayes) is quickly becoming one of Hollywood's most versatile and commanding actors. Most recently, Parke was seen in Warner Bros.' Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang, opposite Robert Downey, Jr. and Val Kilmer; the film was from producer Joel Silver and directed by Shane Black. He has also been seen in Tim Burton's Planet of the Apes; The Replacements with Keanu Reeves and Gene Hackman; and Lasse Hallström's Oscar®-nominated The Cider House Rules. Originally from Jamaica and raised in Brooklyn and Long Island, Evan was a full-time economics student at Cornell when he decided his senior year to take classes in black theater and dramatic literature-and discovered his passion for acting. After receiving his degree in economics, Parke worked for three years in various corporate jobs (including FedEx and pharmaceutical sales), but he could not get acting out of his system. Following his dream, Parke went on to receive his master's degree from the prestigious Yale School of Drama and then went to New York, where he appeared on different daytime dramas (including All My Children and As the World Turns). He also began building his theater credits, appearing in Colored People's Time, The Old Settler and The Lion King on Broadway, among others. In 1997, Parke was the recipient of the William & Eva Fox Foundation Fellowship, which funded his attendance at the New York Film Academy, where he focused on film producing. Shortly thereafter, Parke made his way into prime-time television roles. He was a series regular on the Dick Wolf/ABC series L.A. Dragnet, playing the role of Detective James Cooper. He also starred in the USA cable film My Brother's Keeper and the TNT movie Second String, opposite Jon Voight and Gil Bellows. His other television appearances include recurring roles on Alias and Jake in Progress. Evan Parke currently resides in Los Angeles and enjoys football, golfing, biking, horses and fine wine. KYLE CHANDLER (Bruce Baxter) Having proven himself as both a sexy and intelligent leading man, KYLE CHANDLER (Bruce Baxter) is poised to be one of today's foremost talents. Chandler, with deep roots in television, was most recently seen as Grant in NBC's The Lyon's Den, starring opposite Rob Lowe and Frances Fisher. Chandler excelled, playing a character that accentuated his versatility, as Grant sharply contrasted with his last role (opposite Joan Cusack in the ABC comedy What About Joan). He earned early critical reviews for his portrayal of Jeff Metcalf in the acclaimed ABC series Homefront. The actor first gained national recognition for his work as Gary Hobson on CBS's Early Edition. A graduate of the University of Georgia, Kyle was cast in three telefilms right from college: Quiet Victory: The Charlie Wedemeyer Story; Unconquered; and Home Fires Burning. During this same time, ABC pursued him and brought him to Los Angeles as part of an experimental talent development program. Chandler immediately began working, securing starring roles in such television projects as Heaven & Hell: North & South, Book III; Tour of Duty; and China Beach. Chandler's acting pursuits have also led him to successful roles in feature film and theater, most recently appearing in Lee Tamahori's Mulholland Falls for Warner Bros. and The Color of Evening with Martin Landau and Ellen Burstyn. In 1994, Chandler received critical recognition for his Broadway appearance as Hal Carter in the Roundabout Theatre Company's production of Picnic with Ashley Judd. Chandler is married and lives in Topanga with his wife and two children. 4Related Links King Kong Articles & Interviews The Story of Production Diaries Gorilla Filmmaking: A King Kong photo portfolio Naomi Watts talks about Peter Jackson Q & A Naomi Watts: This is like a relationship movie First Look at King Kong Andy Serkis talks about King Kong Naomi Watts: I'm not a princess all the way